The Stars Never Set
by tf330129
Summary: When SG1 travels back to the past in 'Moebius'. They had no idea that their actions would have consequences the likes of which would change the galaxy forever. This story is an Alternate Universe.
1. Chapter 01 - A New Beginning

**The Stars Never Set V4**

**Disclaimer:** This story is set in the Alternate Stargate Universe, with a minor crossover featuring Star Wars and elements of Battlestar Galactica. This is also a Brit-Wank with story and timeline elements.

I only own this story and any original content.

"This is normal speak"

_These are thoughts or Names_

'Quotes'

Chapter 01 – The Beginning

'Some people find the notion that history could have been completely different if certain events had gone another route ridiculous. I say those people don't know what the hell they are talking about' - Unknown.

**Oxford University**

**The Midlands**

**United Kingdom**

**September 1890**

The sun was high in the sky bird song filled the air. The campus was alive with activity as students returned from summer break. For one Professor James Langford, the day had started like any other. Arriving at eight, lectures till lunch time and then lessons until four thirty. He was now in his office reviewing one of the papers a student of his had submitted. Just finishing the paper it was fair to say he was impressed they certainly had potential. But before he could continue a knock on his office door caught his attention. Looking up he saw a man in his fifties dressed in a black suit and tie carrying a suitcase.

"Are you James Langford?" the man asked.

"Yes I am may I ask who you are?" he replied.

"Sorry for not introducing myself. My name is Benjamin Croft I am a member of the governments Ancient Artefacts Bureau. Here is my card" the now introduced Benjamin Croft then handed him a small card. "It says that you are the universities top expert in ancient languages is this true," he asked.

"Yes"

"And it is also true that you sometimes do translations on the side"

"Yes that is correct"

"Then my department would like you to translate a tablet we have recently come across. Would you mind if I sit down" Mr Croft asked indicating the couch and coffee table.

"Sure" James replied moving to sit at the other coach.

Sitting down Mr Croft set the briefcase on the table and unclipped the locks "We found this while at a dig site near the pyramid of Giza. It was concealed within a previously undiscovered chamber. There were many other artefacts yet this one caught our attention the most. But it is a dialect of Egyptian that unfortunately, our experts have not been able to translate. Despite their best efforts" finally opening the briefcase.

The tablet itself was fairly ordinary and he could tell it was made out of sandstone. But it was what was one the tablet that caught his attention.

"No wonder why your researchers couldn't read it. It's in some form of Latin but I don't recognise it". He said now curious.

"That's what our experts said. We were hoping that you could translate it for us. Of course, you would have to sign some paperwork. But I'm sure that won't be a problem?"

"No of course not. Do you know how old it is?"

"Based on the age of the cavern. Around 3000BC"

For once Paul was at a loss for words. If what he was seeing was genuine and he still had a hint off doubt. Then this language could be the progenitor of all forms of Latin currently known.

"For this job, you will be paid a hundred pounds. Also if you are able to translate this successfully then we may have a job for you" Benjamin commented. James was stunned that was more than half his yearly pay. Yet something about the way Mr Croft had said it gave James the impression that there was an underlying meaning to it.

"This is a test isn't it," James said somewhat unsure if his hunch was correct.

"I see you figured it out. Yes, Mr Langford, this is a test. In fact, you were recommended to us as one of the for most experts in ancient languages". That statement made James pause. Somebody had recommended him?

"Who recommended me," he asked.

"Professor William Taft"

To say he was surprised was an understatement. He was once his mentor when in college their relationship had deteriorated before finally departing their separate ways. The separation certainly wasn't amicable and they hadn't spoken to each other in five years. Still, the amount of money he was being offered was more than enough for him to agree.

After signing the agreement he said "Alright you have a deal," getting up to shake Mr Crofts hand. After the two men shook hands Mr Croft then said "We will be in touch" before exiting the room. James then sat back heavily into the couch and took a deep breath. Needless to say the fact he was being given the opportunity to study such an old artefact made him giddy with excitement. The pay was also something he couldn't afford to pass up. Though the fact that it was a test and the guy openly admitted when questioned that was a test made him nervous.

Still it couldn't be that hard could it be.

**Oxford University**

**The Midlands**

**United Kingdom**

**November 1890**

As it would turn out hard wouldn't even begin to describe how complicated the translation would turn out. The form of Latin did indeed seem to be the progenitor of the Latin language in general. What few parts he had been able to translate didn't make a lot of sense. It talked about a great battle against the false gods. How the rebellion through the false god Ra of the Earth. How they failed to stop him from taking something called the Stargate. Regardless what had him most confused was the series of weird symbols at the bottom. Seven to be exact but separated into two distinct lines.

Taking a swig from his cup of tea he couldn't help but lay back and sigh. While he had been able to painstakingly translate the text over the last two months. With multiple trips to the university library. He still hadn't figured out the purpose of the symbols at the bottom. He couldn't just call with a half completed translation after all the agreement he signed explicitly stated such. He had to figure it all out or nothing.

A knock on the door distracted him from his thoughts. Looking up he saw one of his students one Lisa Welbourn and smiled "Ah Lisa what can I do for you".

"Well, sir I was wondering if you could help me with my thesis. As you know I have been studying Ancient Greek Civilisation as you know. But I have run into some trouble regarding sourcebooks and I was wondering. If you could recommend some for me" she replied smiling.

"Ancient Greek Astronomy. More specifically anything that deals with star constellations"

"Of course give me a second" he replied getting up and going over to his bookcase. Selecting a few books he returned and placed them on his table. While gesturing for her to sit down. As she did so he said "Now these are what you are looking for. While these are my personal copies there are identical volumes available at the library on campus. Feel free to take a note of them" he finished smiling.

"Thank you sir" she replied the relief clear in her voice. "Would you mind if I take a look through them?" she asked.

"Of course" he smiled she was always an inquisitive student. As she was skimming through the pages however looking at some of the constellations. He noticed that the images somewhat looked like the symbols on the tablet. Shaking his head he went back to finishing off his tea. About twenty minutes later she finished looking through the books thanked him and left for class. With that done he got up sat down at his desk and continued grading papers.

Five hours later he had finished the paperwork for the day. Finishing off another cup of tea he began to pack up and leave for the day. As he got up he noticed the books still sitting on his table. He sighed and shook his head before picking up the pile and beginning to place them back on the bookshelf. As he placed the pile on the shelf one of the books slide off the top and fell onto the floor. The book landed open but face down.

"Damn it" he muttered these books weren't like those in the library. Those were first edition and worth a pretty penny. Putting the other books back in their slots he bent down and picked up the book that fell down. Turning it over he realised it was the book that Lisa had been flicking through earlier. Closing it he began to place it back on the shelf until he remembered what he thought about it earlier. So he took it and sat down on the couch. Opening it he began to flick through the book until he came across the section dealing with constellations.

Looking it over he couldn't help but notice the similarities to the symbols on the tablet it wasn't a complete match but it was close. It was no longer a coincidence and so he poured over the book more and more. Until finally one of the drawings matched exactly what was depicted on the tablet!

To say James was excited was an understatement. He had done it! The symbols were constellations! He needed to get to a phone!

What followed next would best be described as a mad scramble. Quickly packing up his things and bringing the book along he practically ran out off his office. Forgetting to turn the lights off as he went something the caretaker would later complain about.

Rushing to his car he immediately started the engine and headed home. He was quite privileged to own one cost a pretty penny but it was certainly worth it. Reaching home around thirty minutes later he was meet by his maid.

"Welcome back sir," she said smiling.

"Good evening Susan. Sorry for getting back so late but I urgent work that needs doing" he said smiling at her before moving past her and heading to his study.

"Should I do you some food sir?" she asked.

"Yes that's a good idea" he answered feeling his stomach growl. As she walked to the kitchen and began to prepare his meal. He reached the study and opened the door. The study itself was elegant in its design with a wooden desk and chair at its centre. Bookshelf's lined the walls and a couch and table set sat in the right-hand corner with an ornate fireplace situated in the middle of the wall. Sitting down at his desk he reached under the lip of the desk and pressed a switch opening a hidden drawer. Reaching in he withdrew the tablet and placed it on his desk. Placing the book next to it he began to search through it trying to find an exact match for the constellations on the tablet.

After half an hour came a knock at the door. Looking up he saw it was Susan carrying his meal and a cup of tea. "Thank you, Susan, please place it on the table that will be all," he said. Susan nodded her head before turning around and leaving the study shutting the door as she went. For the first time in two months, he felt relief, the translation was finally done. Finishing his meal he walked to the phone in the living room pulled the card out of his pocket and dialled the number.

The phone rang a few times before a female voice answered "This is the Ancient Artefacts Bureau. Benjamin Crofts Office. I'm sorry but Mr Croft is unavailable at the moment would you like to leave a message".

"Yes could please tell him that James Langford has solved the problem. He will understand the message"

"Very well sir have a good day". As the phone-line went dead James couldn't help but feel a strong sense of relief. Returning to his study he finished off his now cold tea and smiled.

Now all he could do was wait for tomorrow.

**Natural History Museum**

**London**

**United Kingdom**

**November 1890**

Before he knew it two weeks had gone by and he still hadn't received a phone call from Mr Croft. Then out of the blue, he had received a phone call from Mr Crofts office instructing him to come to the Natural History Museum. He had arrived in London a day later and immediately headed to the museum in question. That had been nearly an hour ago and while the museum was certainly impressive. Especially for a museum only constructed ten years ago. In particular, he was impressed with some of the artefacts here.

As he was just about getting ready to go the sound of echoing footsteps across the marble floor caught his attention. Turning around he saw Mr Croft walking towards him.

"Ah, Mr Langford sorry for keeping you waiting. There were some last minute preparations that needed doing. Please come with me" shaking his hand he gestured for James to follow him. Walking for a few minutes in silence James decided to ask some questions.

"It's an impressive museum you have here especially for one built only nine years ago," he said.

"Thank you for the compliment James. We built this museum to not only appreciated the past but look forward to the future. It is why this facility is as large as it is. We didn't just think about current needs when designing the building after all. Regardless we are funded by the government, generously at that. Also, we have some funding coming from ticket prices and other items. So we can afford to give our visitors the best experience possible. All profits we make are funnelled back into the building and exhibits themselves. Anything extra allows us to fund archaeological digs and conservation projects all over the world. We are also planning to issue a magazine series talking about a relevant topic each week though this is still in the planning stages. And we are beginning to invest our money into what we hope to be profitable ventures. But rules mean we cannot incest more than five per cent of our annual budget. But, that is not why you are here today we are here" as Benjamin finished speaking he noticed they had arrived at a restricted area. Benjamin held up his ID card and the guard opened the door before closing it immediately when they had gone through.

The restricted section was completely different from the public areas. Gone was the elegant marble flooring and stone pillars. Instead replaced by décor that wouldn't look out of place in a military base. As they continued to walk through the corridor James noticed a number of rooms on either side. Looking in one he was surprised to see that it was some kind of lab. He didn't have time to look any further though as the pace they were moving it didn't allow for it.

Finally, they arrived at a desk with what looked to be a navy captain manning the desk. This made James confused and even a bit worried. Benjamin noticed this as he signed the register. "Don't worry about it, James. Once we get the meeting room everything we become clear" he said giving James a warm smile. Somewhat relaxed the captain gave him what looked like a None-Disclosure Agreement. Deciding to trust Benjamin he signed the document and then signed his name onto the register. Handing it back the captain nodded his head before getting up and pulling out a key. He then walked over to a door with a keyhole and turned it. The door then opened to reveal an elevator.

Following Benjamin inside the captain turned the key again closing the elevator doors and beginning the descent. Before he could ask any questions Benjamin began speaking. "When the Ancient Artefacts Bureau or AAB was first founded. We quickly outgrew our first headquarters and our second and then our third. Eventually, we realised we needed a far bigger facility than anything then available. Yet this facility had to be able to function in complete secrecy. The plans for the Natural History Museum were already in the works. We simply co-opted the plans for our own purposes. It was rather easy to convince the government for the need of it. After all who doesn't want to be host to the biggest museum on the face of the Earth. And indeed it possesses the biggest collection of artefacts the world has ever seen. There are further plans too to create what would become one of the biggest libraries in the world has ever seen. But that is only in the design stage and not yet finalised. Still, it was rather depressing how easily it was to play on their vanity really. All in all, it was pitched as a way to make London the city to live in for the next hundred years" Benjamin said.

The elevator stopped and the doors opened revealing more stark military décor. Walking along they arrived at a set of doors guarded by a marine. The marine noticing their approach simply said "Sir" before opening the doors. The meeting room itself was surprisingly light despite being more military in nature. An oval shaped table made out of what James could identify as oak sat in the middle of the room. A blackboard hung from the middle of the wall and leather chairs sat around the table. The Union Jack hung on the far wall with a door next to it.

All in all fairly cosy.

"You will have a few minutes to prepare you, presentation professor. If it is to our satisfaction then there will be more opportunities for you" Benjamin said before shaking his hand and walking out of the door.

Now left alone in the room James had a few moments to compose his thoughts. Gathering his things he just about got ready when the door opened show time.

After everybody had gotten seated he scanned around the room. The people sitting at the table where the same kind of government types that he had seen before. But the one that looked most out off place was the person in a navy admirals uniform.

Interesting people.

It was Benjamin who began speaking. "Well, first I would like to thank you all for coming to the meeting today. I realise you are busy people so without further ado. I turn this meeting over to Professor James Langford. Who has been studying the tablet recovered in Egypt. Professor the floor is yours" he finished with a smile.

James gulped before calming himself. "Alright. Now the translation was quite difficult due to the dialect. Which turned out to be an early form of Latin possibly even the first form of Latin. Yet what was on the tablet was rather strange and doesn't make a lot of sense. What it talks about is how the Ra's race was dying. How Ra found earth and took the body of an Egyptian boy. About how he established his dominion over the others of his kind by enslaving the Tau'ri or people of the first world. The tablet next talks about how a team from the future. Which then proceed to try and steal an object of some sort. But, they somehow got trapped in the past. So knowing that there was a rebellion at some point the team thought they would just spark it early. They succeed but they were unable to stop Ra from taking something called the Stargate. The machine they travelled in was buried along with this tablet. In the hope that a version of themselves would come back and fix their mistake. It really doesn't make a lot of sense at best and at worst I'd say it was a fraud." he finished.

The men remained stoic for a moment before Benjamin looked to the admiral who simply nodded his head. "What makes you think its a fraud professor," he said.

"Well, the story is simply too outlandish. Aliens and time travel we all know doesn't exist after all. Plus while the tablet is written in a rather interesting form of Latin. The actual phrasing of the text is something you would expect from a more modern text." James finished incredulous expecting the room to agree with him.

The room went silent before the Admiral said "Tell him" the firm tone making it clear this was not a suggestion.

"In 1840 geologists search for new mineral deposits in the Sahara desert made a discovery that forever changed how we view ourselves in the universe. What they discovered was a pyramid-shaped starship buried within one of the sand dunes. Upon its discovery, they realised two facts the first was that the technology was far in advance of anything we have. The second was that this discovery was no mere chamber or tomb that could be lauded over by the masses. What it represented was simply too much for the public at large to handle. So they informed the authorities and eventually with the help of the Royal Navy were able to smuggle the vessel out of Egypt. Needless to say, it was difficult. But regardless once it was back in Britain we began our analysis. What we only confirmed our worst fears. That not only alien life existed but it posed an existential threat to our life. Thus the government decided that such a threat required a dedicated response. This is the genesis of the Ancient Artefacts Bureau or AAB. Do you have any questions so far" Benjamin asked.

James at this point hand his arms on the desk and was resting his head in his hands. His entire world view had just been shattered he didn't know what to think. Much less ask the kind of in-depth questions he wanted to ask. So he just shook his head then Benjamin took a deep breath and then continued.

"With the possibility of more alien artefacts still remaining undiscovered in around the world, we started to put our plans into motion. To make our work easier in Egypt we slowly increased our control in the region. Until finally after the forth anglo-egyptian war we gained full control of the country. Though as far as the rest of the world is concerned we did it to gain full control of the vital Suez Canal. Since then we have found and searched numerous alien facilities and recovered many alien artefacts. All which were transported back to the homeland where they could be studied in secret. We even recovered another couple of vessels from the same race. Regardless when we finally managed to access the interior of the first ship we recovered. Two objects were recovered that day a pedestal shaped device and a ring nine meters in diameter. Those are the devices we were talking about. Though we still didn't know their purpose until last year. Do you have any questions?" he asked again.

As James still hadn't fully recovered from the revelations he shook his head.

"Now it was last year that Professor Taft who discovered a buried chamber around twenty miles north of the Giza pyramids. We discovered the tablet and many other items within the chamber. Professor Taft upon discovering proceeded to try and translate it but he was unable to continue due to unfortunate circumstances."

"What kind of unfortunate circumstances".

Benjamin appeared to hesitate before answering. "During the exploration one of the team members accidentally activated an explosive device. Professor Taft sacrificed himself to ensure both his team and the artefacts survived. He died saving the lives of his team in the ensuing explosion. The world lost a truly great man that day." the tone made it clear that Benjamin genuinely respected the man.

For James, the loss of his tutor was another shocking blow. While they had fallen out and not spoken to each other in five years he still respected the man. Combined with the startling new reality he was only just coming to terms with was too much. How he still maintained his composure was a mystery that we wouldn't solve for the rest of his life.

Seeing that he wouldn't be speaking for a while Benjamin decided to finish off. "The pedestal device is what my colleague was talking about earlier. We believe that it functions as some kind of controller for the ring which we now know to be the Stargate. We still don't know what it does but we think that it is some kind of teleportation device. Though we can't be sure. We contacted you because William thought you would be more than capable of continuing his work. Can you Mr Langford?" he finished.

James thought it over for a moment. He was being given the opportunity to see and discover things that many thought impossible. He had doubts, the responsibility his position would inevitably have was probably substantial. He simply didn't think he was ready for it. But if William thought his abilities would allow him to serve as a worthy successor then who was he to turn that down.

"I am" he answered confidently. But while most of his unsaid questions had been answered he noticed one hadn't been. "But I couldn't but notice that you didn't provide an answer to my statement about time travel," he said.

"Then it is a pleasure to have you with us, Mr Langford. Regarding your question. While we know time travel is possible. We cannot disclose the details at this time as the information has been declared Top Secret. I hope you understand why" Benjamin replied the stern tone implying that he should drop it.

"Very well then". He knew then not to push it. Besides he had a rough idea as to how time travel was possible.

The meeting continued after that point discussing the details of the upcoming testing for the Stargate. It was decided that anybody being sent through would be part of a four-man unit. Two marines, one linguist and one tech expert. This wouldn't be for some time and would only happen if the Stargate was confirmed to be a method of transportation. If that proved to be the case then these Stargate Teams (SGT) would be numbered one to ten. With different functions based on need. The exact nature and makeup of these units would be sorted out later. For the time being, communication would be handled view the newly developed handheld radio communication technology. A contribution from the head of Research and Development Nikola Tesla.

The first test was scheduled to happen in one week.

**Stargate Control Room**

**Natural History Museum**

**London**

**United Kingdom**

**November 1890**

A week later and everything was ready. During the week four volunteers had been found to go through the Stargate if indeed it turned out to be what they thought it was. Equipped with the best weapons and gear available to the British Empire. They represented what many had begun to think of as a new era of mankind. The team was designated SG1 and lead by Captain Alan Shepard.

In the control room, the various department heads of the AAB had gathered with James now appointed as the head of the department of culture. It would be his job to translate alien languages and see how they related to earth history. Today would be the moment of truth and after a millennium of inactivity, the Stargate would be activated for the first time.

"Everything ready?" Benjamin asked. As the confirmations came from around the room it became clear. They were ready. "Alright, let's do this" with the command given the officer seated in a chair next to the pedestal pressed the first symbol. When he did so the symbol lit up surprising the room. At the same time, the inner ring of the Stargate rotated until it landed on the corresponding symbol and the chevron descended locking it in place. The chevron lighting up once it had done so. The officer then pressed the other symbols that James had identified earlier until finally, they pressed the seventh symbol.

At first, nothing happened until James noticed that the red dome in the middle had started glowing. "Press that," he said. The officer looked at Benjamin who nodded and the officer proceeded to press the button.

FOWOOSH!

The Stargate activated a substance similar to water seemed to shoot out of it before falling back and settling into a shining shimmering blue puddle. The display was beautiful.

"SG1 you have a go" Benjamin announced. Captain Alan Shepard nodded his head before jovially saying "Alright guys lets go" before as one they ascended the ramp. Stopping in front of the puddle Captain Shepard turned around to look back at the control room. Seeing Benjamin and the Admiral nod their heads. He turned back took a deep breath and muttered "Here we go" before as one the SG1 stepped through the gate.

And into the new world.

**Authors Note: **Hello Guys and welcome to the new version of The Suns Never Set. Took me four versions before I came up with one that I was finally happy with. I will be clear that I suck at describing things so don't expect good descriptions. The crossover part will come in later. The previous version will remain up for comparisons sake.

I will also state that I have Asperger's Syndrome so don't expect the best grammar. That said I am currently using Grammerly and Hemingway Editor so hopefully that will help.

This timeline takes place as a direct consequence of the Stargate SG1 episode Moebius Part 1. It just happened a bit differently as while Ra was able to take the gate. The Al'kesh transporting it crashed. Resulting in it being found in 1840.

[1] James Langford is Paul Langford's older brother.


	2. Chapter 02 - Cadia

**Chapter 02 – Cadia**  
**Stargate Embarkation Room  
Unknown  
November 1890**

If SG1 had to describe how it felt to travel through the Stargate for the first time in one word it would be weird. Upon exiting the Stargate Captain Shepard's first thought was 'Wow it's dark'. Indeed the room they were in was close to pitch black as it could get. The pale blue light of the stargate being the only source of illumination. It was enough however for him to see where they were.

Wondering if his team had made it through safely he looked behind him and was relieved to find other three members of his unit standing beside him. Smiling he turned his attention to the room the stargate was in. There was no light in the room save for that which came from the gate. This was made worse by the fact that the walls were coloured black. Looking down he noted two parallel white lines leading to the far wall. Now looking up he noticed there was some kind of triangular windows. Obviously some kind of command centre.

"Sir the pedestal isn't here" came the voice of Corporal Bower. Looking around he quickly confirmed it was true. Damn it he thought. Before he could think about it any further a voice came over the radio. "This is command to SG1 are you receiving me" came the voice.

"This is SG1. We have arrived safely. Repeat we have arrived safely. Pedestal device is absent. Repeat pedestal device is absent. We have a good idea of where it might be though." he replied.

The reply came moments later "Understood. Is there anything you need".

"Yes, sir. Would it be possible for you to send through some of those new portable flashlights? It's really dark in here and the only light is that which is coming from the gate".

"Understood. Flash-lights will be through in a few minutes. Although I would advise caution. They are heavy. You will be down a man. We will keep the stargate on as long as possible. We will redial when it shuts off".

"Understood" and a few minutes later a small crate was sent through and upon opening it revealed the flashlight itself. "Thompson you will carry the flashlight" he ordered. It made sense Thompson was the least experienced off the group after all.

"Yes sir" he replied slinging his rifle over his shoulder and picking it up. He then proceeded to wind the crank the handle after a few moments the flashlight turned on. With the extra light, Shepard was able to see a closed door at the end of the room. Quickly searching the room and finding no other doors the team moved out. On the way, they noticed that off to the right was a recessed area. Somewhat curious they went over and noted the yellow markings surrounding it. "Must be some kind of elevator" Lieutenant Anderson muttered before saying "Notice something".

The comment drew the attention of Captain Shepard "Notice what Lieutenant" somewhat curious about what he found.

"Since we got here I noticed something hasn't really smelt right. I only just realised why. There is no airflow here sir" he replied looking concerned.

Shepard smelt the air before saying "Damn it. Alright, people lets move. I don't care how much air is in this room. I don't want my tombstone to read 'Here lies Captain Alan Shepard. Died from suffocation'. Let's move".

The group reached the door soon after that. Finding a keypad with the button pulsing Captain Shepard ordered "Alright everybody stand-back" before pressing the button. A light began to shine out the top before proceeding to move over him from top to bottom. Eventually, the light stopped before the keypad turned green and the door opened. Seeing the corridor itself Shepard couldn't help but whistle. Whoever had built this place had done so with attacks coming from the gate in mind. Natural choke points had been built into the facility itself making attacking this place at the very least extremely costly.

Walking through the corridors though it soon became clear that no one corridor lead directly to the control room itself. This only supported the idea that the base had been built with the sole purpose of the Stargate in mind. With the base seeming to be a virtual maze it was half an hour until they finally reached a set of stairs leading to the upper level. Ascending the stairs they turned right and proceed back in the direction of the control room. Passing by more defensive emplacements they arrived at the locked control room.

Just like before when Shepard pressed the button on the keypad he seemed to be scanned before the keypad flashed green and the room opened. Walking inside he found that it was in fact split into two sections. The first section contained a circular table in the middle with a series of consoles recessed into the far wall. A door separated the two sections. The second section was slightly different with two pits containing multiple consoles. A walkway on either side separated the two pits and the pedestal sat on the right in its own dedicated space. Looking closer at it he noted that the pedestal had been modified as wires connected it to one of the consoles.

Walking on the middle walkway towards the window, he got a good look at the embarkation room and the active gate. Pressing the transmit button on his radio he said: "This is Captain Shepard to Command to do you read me.".

"This is command we read you go ahead".

"We have located the control room and the pedestal device. The base is shut down and life support is not active at this time. Repeat life support not active at this time. We are attempting to activate it.".

"Understood. Good luck command out." before the radio shut off.

Turning to his second in command, he asked: "How would you turn the life support on Anderson".

Anderson put his raised his arm and cupped his chin appearing to think about it. Finally, he answered "If I were them, sir, I would have it linked to the power supply or at least a backup power supply. For redundancies sake. But, I wouldn't have a clue where the power supply room could be".

As if on his say so the table at the back began to emit blue light before displaying a hologram like what he had seen from Goa'uld technology. What was surprising was that it was displaying a route to the power room. "That's convenient" he muttered.

Thinking about it, for a moment Shepard muttered "To Convenient" before saying "Who was that show yourself. We are peaceful explorers and mean you no harm". For a moment nothing happened before the hologram vanished. Replaced by a face reassembling an Asian female. A good looking one at that. [1]

"Well, I guess you are more intelligent than I thought. My apologies for trying to deceive you. My name is Caretaker and I am the AI in charge of this facility". She says smiling.

The team is stunned for a moment before Shepard responded. "It's alright. Just don't do it again. Let me introduce my team. I am Captain Alan Shepard commander of SG1, this is Lieutenant Anderson, Corporal Bower and Corporal Thompson. I take it you were the one who opened the doors for us?" he asked.

"Yes I was and it is a pleasure to meet you" she replied.

"Where is everybody?" he asked. It was odd that given the nature of this facility they should have been captured the moment they stepped out the gate.

"Unfortunately this facility has remained uninhabited for an extremely long time. My directives would have ordinarily been to neutralise you and wait for a response team. But considering the amount of time that has past since my last activation. I decided a different response was required".

"Well, I thank you for not following that directive. Out of curiosity how long has this place been uninhabited".

"Last time anybody entered this facility was 15,000 cycles ago" she replied the sadness clear on both her face and in her tone of voice.

The team looked at each other at that before Anderson asked: "How long is a cycle?".

She answered almost immediately "389 planetary rotations".

"and how long is a single planetary rotation".

"27 hours" she responded looking at them with a blank expression.

At that Anderson cupped his hand to his chin and seemed to think for a moment before his eyes widened. "You mean to say that nobody has entered this facility for the past 15,000 years. Didn't anybody come back here" he asked incredulously. The idea that anybody would leave a place like this uninhabited for that long was simply impossible. Even if whoever built this place had forgotten about it. They had more than enough time to just stumble across it.

She was obviously sad but suddenly her expression shifted to one of confusion. "Records show a power spike coming from the gate roughly five thousand years ago. In fact, sensors confirm that that Stargate did activate and somebody came through. How did I miss it? Sorry I was distracted there for a moment. But in response to your question. All human life-signs on this planet ceased 50 cycles after this facility was abandoned. As it is you are currently the only human life-signs registering on Cadia or Rendili" she informed them.

"What's Rendili".

"Cadia's Moon" she responded.

The team looked at each other for a moment before Shepard asked. "I'm sorry you were left alone for so long".

"Thank you" she responded with a small smile.

Shepard thought for a moment. This was a golden opportunity. The planet was uninhabited and obviously, the civilisation that built this place was obviously technologically advanced. If they could make some kind of deal…

"So what do you want to do," he asked.

She looked confused for a moment before saying "What do you mean?".

Shepard took a breath "Well, do you want us to leave?" he asked.

She thought for a bit before answering "No, it's been a long time since I had contact with anybody".

"Well, I have a suggestion. What if we used this facility?" he asked.

She looked surprised and seemed to consider his question. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, the way I see it is this. Your people, unfortunately, are gone and given the amount of time that has past it is unlikely they will return. What I propose is this. The British Empire would like to explore the planet and likely in the colonise it. With your permission of course. That way not only are you no longer alone but we can see to it that your people are never forgotten. But, if you want us to leave and not come back then we will abide by your wishes." he replied giving her a small smile.

Again she looked surprised at the suggestion. As did the rest of his team. They had all been given orders to make contact with alien cultures and acquire alien technology. But what Shepard was proposing was on a whole different level. Taking control of an entire planet would certainly grant him a knighthood if it succeeded. It had to take a lot of guts to suggest this. However, the more they thought about it started to make sense. Clearly, if they tried to assault and take this place then the casualties would be immense. They didn't even know what kind of defences it had since Caretaker had let them in after all.

If they could gain control of an entire planet with its resources and advanced technology the British Empire would have an insurmountable edge. Something that was particularly sought after given the current tensions with France was highly desirable.

The silence lasted for five minutes before a smile broke out on her face. "Well, my final orders were to maintain this facility until somebody came back. At which point they would take charge. Nowhere in those orders did it say who that would be. Regardless I doubt my creators would want their efforts to go to waste. I accept your proposal, Captain Shepard".

The team smiled at that before suddenly all light apart from the flashlight went out. Turning around they discovered the Stargate had indeed shut off. They looked at each other confused before Shepard muttered: "Why did that happen".

It was caretaker who answered him. "Based on the experiments we conducted during the limited amount of time the stargate was operational. We discovered that the gate could only be active for at most of 38 minutes. Anything more required an exponential increase in power output. Of the kind that could only be met by a capital grade starship reactor".

"Huh, well I suppose all we have to do is wait for command to redial before heading home" Shepard commented.

Caretaker looked concerned at that. "I hope you aren't planning to go through the gate. When they dial".

"Yah why".

"Because you can only go one way when going through the gate. If you go through when they redial.." she trailed off.

"Then we will die. That's what you were going to say isn't it?" Shepard finished.

Caretaker nodded her head in confirmation. Hearing that Shepard couldn't help but sigh before leaning back against the wall. The other members of the team looked at each other before corporal bower muttered: "Well, how are we going to get home".

Caretaker turned her hologram towards him and answered. "That's easy. The computer system is directly connected to the DHD. This allows the computer to automatically calculate the coordinates of incoming connections. Once you have the main power back online. Then all that will be needed is for your home base to dial Cadia again. And you have a way back" she finished. The smugness clear on her face.

"DHD?" Shepard commented confused.

Caretaker seemed to realise that he was confused obviously he wouldn't know Cadian terms and her expression changed. To that what only could be described as a sheepish look before replying "It stands for Dial Home Device Sir".

Again the team looked at each other before Shepard said "Huh. Describes its function to a tea and is better than just saying the pedestal all the time. DHD it is".

Thompson looked like he wanted to protest but Shepard looked at him the amusement clear on his face and said condescendingly "You got a better idea, Thompson". Thompson looked around saw he was getting no support and remained quiet.

Shepard looked a little smug at that before saying "Good" and turning away. At which both Lieutenant Anderson and Corporal Bower started snickering. Which caused the captain to turn back and look at them. At which point they stopped their snickers and stood to attention. At which Shepard simply narrowed his eyes a bit before turning back to Caretaker. Who had been watching the scene in amusement?

Shepard simply shook his head and turned back to the task at hand. Turning to caretaker he asked, "What's the quickest way to the power supply room".

Immediately caretakers face vanished replaced by a hologram of the quickest route to where they needed to go. However, it was lieutenant Anderson who noticed something. "Sir we are going to have to split up. One group can provide directions while the other.."

"Goes to the power room. Alright, Anderson you and Thompson you will go to the power room and restart the generator. We will remain here. The radios have limited range and I don't want command thinking we are dead when they dial back". The two nodded their heads confirming they understand the orders. But before they could go caretaker interrupted.

"I should inform you that the door to the power room is sealed. You will have to use one of the maintenance ladders in order to access it. The power supply room is on the lowest level of this complex. As such with the elevator system offline it should take you half an hour to reach it" she said.

With that Anderson's unit left the control room and guided by Shepard over the radio it took them half an hour to get to the maintenance ladder. "We have arrived at the maintenance ladder sir" he reported.

"Good. Now the system should be easy to start-up. All you have to do is start it up and caretaker can handle the rest" Shepard replied.

"That's the thing, sir. I recognised some of the writing on the way here and while I know enough to see that it's in Aurabesh it doesn't mean I can read it. Hell, I am surprised we could even communicate with caretaker in the first place" he commented.

At that Shepard and Bower looked at each other as their eyes widened in realisation. Now that they thought about it the fact that they were able to communicate at all was surprising. Seeing that she needed to answer the unspoken question before the speculation got out of hand she replied. "Your language was similar to Cadian Basic. As such it was relatively easy to translate it".

"Huh, alright, that's that settled. Wonder why command is taking so long to dial back" Shepard commented. Anderson entered the control room and thanks to instructions Caretaker relayed through him. They were finally rewarded when a low whining sound began to reverberate throughout the base. Slowly this sound began to get loader and loader. Until finally the lights flickered, the computers lit up and the familiar flow of air began to be felt on their skin.

The base was coming back to life.

"Yes," Shepard said happily before getting on his radio and saying "Good work Anderson".

"No problem sir. Just doing my job" Anderson replied with a hint of humour before chuckling.

Suddenly the sound of the stargate turning alerted the team. Walking towards the window the Shepard saw that 3 of the 9 of the chevrons where glowing.

"Activating defences" caretaker said and soon some kind of energy field encompassed the gate. It's purple shimmering being almost beautiful in Shepard's eyes.

"What does that do?" he asked.

Caretaker looked at him before replying "The stargate requires a certain amount of room to successfully transit any object in travel. For matter, this distance is 0.3 microns from the event horizon. The shield is part of a two-layer defence system. The first is an energy shield located point 0.1 microns in front of the event horizon itself. This helps prevent any kind of energy from transiting. The second is a particle shield that prevents matter from transiting".

Shepard couldn't help but be shocked at that. The Cadian civilisation was ridiculously advanced far more than he thought. Now that he was looking at the gate in more detail he noticed that it was different than the one they had. For one thing, the chevrons were coloured purple instead of red. It was also coloured black instead of grey. Looking towards the DHD he realised that it too was different. Far from the round pedestal, they had this version was more angular similar to the consoles they had seen on the way here.

Was there more than one type of gate?

Regardless the final chevron on the Stargate finally locked and the characteristic wave energy shot out of the gate. Only to be stopped by the shield.

"Picking up a radio signal. Patching in now" caretaker said before they heard over the speakers.

"This is command to SG1 do you read me?".

"Huh, didn't know you could do that" Shepard said to caretaker.

"Once the computer systems were up and running. It was rather easy to intercept the signal" she replied.

"Who is that" came over the speakers as Shepard realised command could hear the conversation.

"Sorry, sir didn't realise you would hear that".

"Why wouldn't we Captain you are transmitting with the radio after all".

Even though command couldn't see him Shepard couldn't help but look a little sheepish at that. Scratching the back of his had he answered: "Not exactly sir".

A now confused voice replied "What do you mean. Not exactly".

"Well, sir. There is no other way to say this but" he took a deep breath "we have made first contact".

**Stargate Control Room  
The British Museum  
London, United Kingdom  
November 1890**

Silence. That was all that could be heard following Captain Shepard's declaration. The disbelief was palpable. Sure they knew the ring was an alien artefact. After all, it wasn't like the ancient egyptians could build a perfectly symmetrical ring nine metres in diameter. The idea that they would make first contact on the very first mission was unprecedented. In fact, some of the people in the room scoffed. No way they could get this lucky. Benjamin looked at the admiral who nodded before responding. "Captain Shepard this is director croft. I'm sorry but we need to confirm. Did you say you have made first contact?"

"That's affirmative sir" came Shepard's firm voice over the radio.

"I take it the female voice we heard earlier was one of the people you made contact with".

"My name is Caretaker and it is a pleasure to speak to you, Director Croft. I have been discussing the situation with Captain Shepard and we have come to an agreement" came the smooth female voice. What struck Benjamin as odd was that not only it spoke English but that the voice had an aristocratic quality to it. However, the fact that Captain Shepard had evidently conducted some kind of deal made the people in the room nervous.

"It is a pleasure to meet you as well. But I have to ask. What kind of agreement did you reach with Captain Shepard?" he asked apprehensively.

"I believe that's for Captain Shepard to discuss with you. But it isn't bad I assure you" even though the voice was stoic. And while Benjamin couldn't be sure he swore that it contained a hint of amusement.

Before he could continue Captain Shepard's voice came over the radio. "Don't worry sir its nothing bad. In fact, this could very well turn out to be to the greatest deal we have ever made. But just out of curiosity. Why did it take this long for command to dial back? Command said that they would dial back immediately when the Stargate disengaged. If you don't mind answering sir".

"It's alright, Captain. As it turns out some of the control crystals were knocked loose during transit and while they remained stable enough for an initial connection. The shaking of the gate knocked them out of position. It took us this long to identify and fix the problem".

"Understood sir. We have brought main power back online and as such we can dial home. Permission to return sir".

"Granted we have a lot to talk about," he said before turning to the officer in front of the pedestal and nodding his head. With that, the radio transmission cut out and when the officer pressed the red button the Stargate did as well.

The men looked at each other for a moment unsure about what to say or do. They hadn't expected this. But there was one thing they knew for sure as the Stargate began to turn and the chevrons started to glow.

The world had changed forever.

**Authors Note:** Hello everyone and welcome to chapter 02. Hope you enjoy it. I have included some pictures below and will endeavour to do so whenever I can. This is only on Spacebattles and Alternate History though.

[1] Just picture Boomer from Battlestar Galactica.


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